Something that I have found many Hellenes ignorant of is Dionysus's triple formed origins. This could very well be because this particular view of the god is Orphic in origin.
Phanes (Protogonos)
First there was Chaos and the primal forces of Khronos (Time) and Anakte (Compulsion). The Cosmic Egg formed out of Chaos and was hatched by Time and Compulsion. Once the Egg split the first sentient being emerged. His name was Phanes and He was pure light and warmth. Phanes grew lonely and created for Himself a wife Her name was Nyx. Together Light and Night created the Cosmos. Gaia and Uranos were the first of Their children. They ruled over the earth and heavens and in time had children of Their own. We know these children as the Titans Cyclops and Hundred-Handers the predecessors to the Olympians. The Castration of Uranos and Titan War happen as told in Heisod's Theogony. Zeus the leader of the new generation of gods lacked that power to recreate the Cosmos that the Titans had ruled over. His solution to this was to go to His great grandmother Nyx the wisest and most feared of all the Gods. She instructed young Zeus to devour Her husband Phanes to absorb His power and recreate the Cosmos. Thus the first incarnation of Dionysus was ended.
Notes
I always find it interesting how the beginning of this story almost parallels the big bang. Another interesting point to ponder is the single creator god as well as the first divine couple. Phanes despite being the true original creator was neither omnibenevolent omnipresent or omniscience like Yahweh. Proof of this can be seen in the fact that He did not stop the Titans before the war and that He could not even prevent His own death. Not even the Gods can deny Fate.
Zagreus
Zeus the new King of the Gods fell in love with the goddess of spring and Queen of the Dead Persephone. In a very Zeus like manner He went to the goddess and conceived with Her a child. This child would be born with a crown of serpents and a very fierce very powerful presence. His name was Zagreus and He was the pride of His father Zeus. To show His fondness for His child Zeus set young Zagreus upon the throne of Olympus giving Him a laurel and a lightning bolt. Hera in a very Hera like way was jealous of this child born out of wedlock. She plotted and plotted until finally She conceived a wicked way to harm Zagreus. Hera went down to the Titans in Tartarus and convinced them to lure Zagreus away with toys and slaughter Him. The Titans who were not too fond for Zeus in the first place agreed to Hera's plot. The lured the holy child away from his crib with rattles and destroyed Him consuming every piece except His heart. Hermes (or Athena) rescued this heart and told Zeus of the great tragedy. Zeus in response destroyed the Titans in a fit of utter rage. Prometheus then created the first humans from the ashes of the Titans and the sacred heart of Zagreus.
Notes
Dionysos Soter (Dionysus the Savior) was a cult title given to the God probably as a result of this story. This also provides the basic ideas of the Orphic belief system. Humans are essentially divine souls trapped in an unholy form. The way to escape this prison varies but most commonly we see asceticism. However I am convinced that this belief that an ascetic lifestyle can free the soul is only a small portion of the overall philosophy lost to us after the rise of Christianity. Balance is a critical part to properly approaching Dionysus. Neither asceticism nor total hedonism is the path to the God.
Dionysus
Zeus fell in love with the Theban princess Semele. Zeus loved her so much that He swore by the Styx to do whatever she asked of Him. Semele was fooled by the jealous goddess Hera into asking Zeus to reveal Himself in His true for as King of the Heavens. Mortals can not survive the full presence of the Gods like this and Hera knew it. Semele asked this horrid favor of Zeus and He did as she asked with a heavy heart full of sorrow. Young Semele died in a blaze of divine light but before she was completely destroyed Zeus rescued her unborn child Dionysus. He took this child to the island of Nysa to be raised by the nymphs there. Dionysus grew to maturity and learned the ways of the vine from His mentor the satyr Seilenos. Young Dionysus very quickly surpassed His mentor when He brewed the first batch of wine infused with His own love and power. Seilenos loved his pupils creation so much that he intended on existing in perpetual drunkenness. Once Dionysus came of age He began His travels around the world to spread His worship and the gifts of the vine. Behind Him was always a ready train of followers including humans nymphs satyrs animals and even demigods. During His travels He was struck by madness from Hera and left His troop to live in a cave until Zeus cured Him. After the the God dressed in women's clothing to avoid anymore interference from Hera. Dionysus had many more experiences during His travels that I will share in later posts.
Notes
I really don't have anything to say about this one. There are variations on all of these stories. Some Hellenes don't know them and others just don't believe them. These are the stories that I incorporate in my practice because these are the cult stories (or at least some of them) surrounding the God.
Final Words
Dionysus is a very human god who knows suffering and joy. He created the Cosmos as Phanes gave humanity divinity as Zagreus and shows us the way to ecstasy and freedom as Dionysus. He allows us to experience our own inner divinity that in fact we derive from Him. In a way humanity is related to Dionysus and owe Him a great debt. Because of Him we can experience pleasure and become inspired. Dionysus also allows us to truly experience and get to know ourselves by removing all those societal block. The Romans said it the best "In vino veritas" the truth is in the wine.
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